Le Cantique des Cantiques qui est sur Salomon (Song of Songs) [INSCRIBED & SIGNED BY BONNEFON]
Paris: Librairie Universelle, 1905. Limited first edition. Softcover. 1/517. Elephant Folio. 17x12.5". 82pp. [1]. Tan illustrated wrappers in black and gold, with black lettering on the front cover and spine. Illustrated title page. Pages uncut. 517 deluxe limited copies of the first edition were issued. Of those, 499 copies were printed on Holland paper, and hand-numbered on the colophon, of which this is copy #186. Inscribed and signed in ink by Bonnefon on a small piece of paper tipped in the front free endpaper.
The beautifully printed edition consists of a scholarly analysis and newly created French translation of the biblical Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon), accompanied by Art Nouveau illustrations from Czech graphic artist and painter František Kupka (1871-1957). The initial text sections consist introductory notes and a scholarly analysis by French writer and journalist Jean de Bonnefon (1866-1928). This is followed by the text in the form of a drama, and finally Bonnefon's literal translation of the text, with Kupka's illustrations. Text is bordered throughout with decorative floral motifs, printed lithographically in various shades of green, grey, pink, orange, and blue. Kupka's contributions include elegant and detailed historiated initials throughout the text, a small illustrated tailpiece, and a total of 6 larger b/w lithographic illustrations, in the final section.
Text in French.
Wrappers with some minor stains and smudges. A few small closed tears of the spine. Book block starting at pages 9, 25, 40 and the gutter of the interior back wrapper, but staill faily tight. Offsetting to the facing pages, from images and motif in a number instances throughout, with pages otherwise quite clean, save for a very few instances of minor smudges to the margins. Images clean throughout. Wrappers in very good-, interior in very good condition overall. Protected in modern mylar. Scarce. vg- to vg. Item #51282
Price: $1,500.00